APhAPharmacists who need clarification on prescriptions should pick up the phone and call the physician’s office instead of sending a fax, according to a study published in the April-May 2017 issue of the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association. However, how fast the issue is resolved depends on what the issue is, with requests for prior authorization taking the most time to square away.READ MORE

AzPA
The Re-Engineering Your Pharmacy Boot Camp presented by NCPA’s Innovation Center, is a jam-packed two-day training on the operations of an enhanced service business. Successful pharmacy owners share streamlined workflow, staff buy-in strategies, branding and more. Networking, training, and implementation support you need to take your pharmacy to the next level May 5-6 in the New York City metro area. Reserve your seat today!

To share on Twitter: Great speakers & tools to ramp up enhanced services @Commpharmacy Boot Camp. See you May 5-6.

Condolences to the family of Don Campbell

The staff at the Arizona Pharmacy Association would like to express our condolences to the family and friends of Don Campbell who passed away on April 10, 2017. He had a distinguished sales career for 36 years with Eli Lilly and Company in Tucson. Don was always professional and supported teaching and the professional organizations. On two occasions, Don was awarded the Pharmaceutical Representative of the Year by AzSHP. He will be missed.

Medical News Today Overactive bladder is a condition that relates to storage of urine in the bladder. In this condition the muscle in the bladder wall may be unstable, which can cause urine leakage. Around 19 percent of adults in the United States are known to have overactive bladder, also known as OAB. The main symptoms of OAB include a sudden or uncontrollable need to urinate and frequent urination. READ MORE

Pharmacy Practice NewsConcerns with the safety and adverse effects of opioids have grown with increases in prescribing and dose, and higher doses have been associated with worse patient-reported outcomes in a study by researchers at Veterans Affairs and Kaiser Permanente health systems.READ MORE

Pharmacy TimesThe FDA has approved valbenazine capsules, the first drug approved to treat adults with tardive dyskinesia.
Tardive dyskinesia, a neurological condition, is characterized by repetitive involuntary movements, usually of the jaw, lips and tongue. Some individuals also experience involuntary movement of the extremities and difficulty breathing.READ MORE

APhANew recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) call for epinephrine in the treatment of an anaphylactic episode. AAP’s new clinical report, published in Pediatrics,1 updates a 2007 clinical report and is based on an extensive review of recent studies highlighting the safety and beneficial effects of epinephrine for anaphylaxis. It also emphasizes the use of epinephrine auto-injectors in the community setting.READ MORE

Pharmacy Practice NewsThe FDA approved new indications for sofosbuvir and ledipasvir-sofosbuvir to treat hepatitis C virus in children from 12 to 17 years of age.
These are the first direct-acting antiviral treatments approved for children and adolescents with HCV. DAA drugs reduce the amount of HCV in the body by preventing the virus from multiplying, and in most cases, they cure HCV. These approvals provide pediatric treatment options for six major genotypes of HCV.READ MORE

MedCity NewsIt may seem a little invasive for patients to prove they have taken their medication with a selfie, but a study of AiCure‘s medication adherence tool by the National Institutes of Health suggests that it can be effective. The findings were published in the journal, Stroke, in a paper authored by people associated with AiCure.READ MORE

Medical XpressResearchers from the Indiana University Center for Aging Research and the Regenstrief Institute have performed the first study conducted in the United States under real-world conditions comparing patient adherence and tolerability to a class of drugs known as cholinesterase inhibitors. Although there are no known cures for Alzheimer's disease or other dementias, drugs in this class may delay or slow the progression of symptoms in some individuals.
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